Population Change
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2024 population estimates released today, 40 of the 75 counties in Arkansas gained population from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024. Benton County was the fastest growing with a population increase of 3.0%, followed by Washington County at 1.6% and Conway and Craighead Counties at 1.4%.
There were 34 counties that lost population between 2023 and 2024. The majority of these counties were located in the Delta and Southwest regions of the state. Chicot County experienced the largest decline (-2.5%), followed by Woodruff and Phillips Counties (-2.2%).
In terms of numeric change, there were five counties with an increase of at least 1,500 people from 2023 to 2024. Those counties were Benton, Washington, Faulkner, Saline, and Craighead. Benton County experienced the largest growth of 9,318 people.
Population Size
Pulaski County remains the most populous county in the state with 401,209 people, followed by Benton County (321,566) and Washington County (266,184). Conversely, Calhoun County was the least populated county with 4,690 residents, followed by Woodruff County (5,808).
The ten counties in the state with the largest 2024 population estimates are shown in the table below. These counties retain the same population rankings they had in 2023. In other words, changes in the year-to-year population did not change their rankings, even with growth as large as Benton County’s. The population in these ten counties accounts for 56.8% of the state’s population.
Components of Change
The Vintage 2024 estimates also include components of resident population change that help explain how counties are gaining or losing population. These components are vital events (births and deaths) and net migration. Net migration looks into both international and domestic migration.
Natural Decrease and Increase
The vast majority of counties in Arkansas, 65 out of 75, experienced a natural decrease from 2023 to 2024. This means that more deaths occurred than births. This is a trend that can be seen nationwide as the population is aging.
There were ten counties that experienced a natural increase (more births than deaths) from 2023 to 2024. The largest natural increase occurred in Benton and Washington Counties (1,768 and 1,509, respectively).
Net Migration
More counties in Arkansas experienced a positive net migration (46) than a negative migration (29). Positive net migration means that there were more people moving into the county than out of the county. Benton and Washington Counties had the largest net migration in the state (7,534 and 2,770, respectively). Most of the migration in Benton County was domestic versus international (5,720 versus 1,814).
Mississippi County had the largest negative net migration with 521 more people moving out of than into the county. Crittenden County experienced the next largest negative net migration, losing 477 people.
Data Notes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Release Date: March 2025
For More Information
If you are interested in exploring more population estimates for Arkansas you can visit this page for detailed data and or this dashboard for a data visualization.
Vintage 2024 Population Estimates by Characteristics
Vintage 2024 Population Estimates by Characteristics
According to Vintage 2024 population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, the population 65 years and older in Arkansas increased by 2.4% from 2023 to 2024 while the population under 18 years decreased by 0.5%.
Age
In 2024, the population age 65 and older made up 18.2% of the state’s total population. As shown in the map below, the older population accounted for over a quarter of the population in fifteen counties across the state. The majority of these counties are clustered in North Central Arkansas. On the other hand, five counties had a senior population that was less than 15% of their total population with Washington County being the lowest (12.8%).
The median age in both Arkansas and the United States continued to increase from 2020 to 2024, however, the state’s median age has consistently been lower than the nation’s. In 2024, the median age in Arkansas was 38.8 years, which is 0.3 years younger than the U.S. at 39.1 years.
Across the state, the highest median age was in Marion County (51.9 years) and the lowest was in Clark County (32.8 years). As shown in the map below, the distribution closely follows the population 65 years and older.
Race and Hispanic Origin
Between 2023 and 2024 the Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone population grew the fastest (6.7%) in Arkansas followed by the Non-Hispanic Asian alone population (4.0%). The Hispanic population experienced the largest population increase, adding 9,766 people from 2023 to 2024. This population gain was larger than all the other Non-Hispanic race groups combined.
The map below shows the Hispanic population as a percent of the total population by county. This percentage ranged from a low of 1.6% in Newton County to a high of 36.3% in Sevier County with a state rate of 9.6%.
For More Information
The full Vintage 2024 population estimate data can be found on this page.